Mine Blower is a hybrid

wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also ...

located at Fun Spot America Kissimmee, in

Kissimmee, Florida Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

. Manufactured by

The Gravity Group The Gravity Group is a wooden roller coaster design firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The firm was founded in July 2002 out of the engineering team of the famed but now defunct Custom Coasters International. The core group of designer ...

, the compact roller coaster is one of only three wooden roller coasters in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, the others being White Lightning at Fun Spot America Orlando and Coastersaurus at

Legoland Florida Legoland Florida Resort (stylized as LEGOLAND Florida Resort) is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separatel ...

. Features of the ride include a

zero-gravity roll This list of roller coaster elements contains the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation. Introduction Roller coaster elements are the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation, such as a Track (rail transport), tra ...

above the station area, as well as a 115°

overbanked turn This list of roller coaster elements contains the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation. Introduction Roller coaster elements are the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, or turn. ...

History

In December 2016, it was speculated that Fun Spot America Kissimmee was going to build a new roller coaster for $6 million. The name for the attraction was announced on February 5, 2017, during the 2017 Super Bowl. In May 2017, parts of the roller coaster were revealed during construction, including the 115°

. On June 15, 2017, it was announced that Mine Blower would be opening later in the month. Mine Blower opened to the public eight days later, on June 23.

Ride experience

The ride starts with a mild 180° turn to the left, taking it straight into the lift hill. It takes approximately 23 seconds to ascend before the ride hits another 180° turnaround to the left, and plunges just over 80 feet before going into the only inversion, a

. Then, it goes into the first high speed turnaround of many to the left, leading straight up an airtime hill that's followed by a "double down", then passing another bunny hill, and into a right hand turnaround. Two more small hills follow, and then goes towards the 115° over-banked turn to the right. A few more curvy airtime hills sprint the train towards a low lying, left hand turnaround, up another two hills, and into the brake run. Mine Blower is one of 8 wooden roller coasters with at least one inversion as of its construction.

Characteristics

Support structure

Mine Blower is a Gravity Group wooden roller coaster that is built with a steel support structure.

Trains

Mine Blower utilizes two custom themed "Timberliner" trains that seat 12 passengers each. The train front consists of a

firework Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices in ...

and dynamite figurehead.

Statistics

Mine Blower is long, tall, and reaches a top speed of 48.5 mph (78 km/h). This is currently the longest, tallest, and fastest of the three operating wooden coasters in

Reception

Note: Mine Blower has not charted in the

Golden Ticket Awards ''Amusement Today'' is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in Arl ...

since 2018.

References

{{reflist Wooden roller coasters Roller coasters in Florida 2017 establishments in Florida Buildings and structures in Kissimmee, Florida